Business and the Shutdown: The Oil Drilling Show Must Go On

Sep 30, 2013 12:10 pm ET

A federal government shutdown looms, and while understanding the politics of it all is a matter for the crew over at Washington Wire, its impact on American businesses is something Corporate Intelligence will be watching closely. We asked our reporters for a look at how each industry will feel the impact of Washington closing up shop, and we’ll post the updates as they come in.

The energy industry will keep on drilling but approval of new plans will be paused, reports the WSJ’s Tom Fowler:

A federal government shutdown would bring new oil and gas permitting on public lands to a halt and freeze the review of new offshore drilling plans, but it won’t stop most safety inspections or the review of ongoing offshore drilling, according to contingency plans prepared by the Department of the Interior

The Bureau of Land Management, part of DOI, will stop reviewing and issuing new or revised permits to drill on federal land, but existing and fully permitted drilling and production operations can continue.

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